BETTING ON JULIA by Nina Croft is the follow up to her previous book Operation: Saving Daniel and features many of the characters from that book. I was still able to follow and enjoy BETTING ON JULIA without reading the previous book. This book has werewolves and a sexy warlock tormented by demon shenanigans. I like that the supporting characters don't clutter up the story or take away from the main characters.
BETTING ON JULIA has very intense and drama-filled moments as well as some lighter, sexy ones. Warlock Sebastian Crane and werewolf Julia Melville meet because getting Julia to say "I love you" is Sebastian's way of getting rid of a nasty demon named Dante who is bonded to him. There are a few fun moments because of Sebastian's ruse of appearing to be a slightly geeky, mild-mannered accountant. Sebastian sees himself as a man of dark passions and not really good enough to win the love of a good woman like Julia. This window into his inner thoughts makes him a more sympathetic character. I like that Julia is able to see this other side to him.
The attraction between Julia and Sebastian is immediate and it makes for some very sexy and super steamy scenes. There is a little bit of kink, but I think it's nothing that the average fan of paranormal romance would find unpalatable. Rather than being sinister or sleazy, Sebastian falls hopelessly in love with Julia. I like the dynamic and irony of her trying to get him to go wild, while he tries to control his wilder impulses out of caring for her. I like that they both had an inner struggle going on - him fighting his demon, and her struggling to accept her werewolf self. I think they make a perfect pair and have great chemistry. The action in BETTING ON JULIA adds excitement without obscuring the romance.
BETTING ON JULIA is a red hot romance with some danger thrown in. I look forward to reading more books by Nina Croft. I would also be interested in reading more stories set in the world that Nina Croft has created in BETTING ON JULIA.
Small, blonde, bubbly, and with a penchant for all things
pink, Julia Melville has always considered herself a nice
girl โ until she was attacked by a werewolf. Months later,
and still in total denial, Julia spends the time between
full moons fantasizing that her life is normal. And who
could be better to help her with that than her new
neighbor,
handsome accountant, Sebastian Crane.
For two hundred years, Sebastian, a powerful warlock, has
been possessed by a demon. Each day, his soul grows
darker,
and he knows that soon he will be beyond salvation. But
the
demon loves to gamble, and heโs made Bastian one final
betโget a good woman to say the words โI love youโ and
heโll
be free.
Julia wants a normal guy. Bastian needs a good woman.
Maybe
together they can find something far more valuableโฆ
redemption.
EXCERPT
Heโd turned to go, but he swung back and held out his free
hand. โIโm Sebastian. Sebastian Crane.โ
She tightened the belt of her robe and shuffled closer,
eyeing the outstretched hand as though it might suddenly
wrap itself around her throat and squeeze.
โI donโt bite,โ he teased.
Something flashed in her eyes and was gone. She slid her
much-smaller palm against his and there was that little
shiver of sensation again. Ignoring it, his fingers
tightened around hers. Her hand was hot, and he couldnโt
help wondering what it would feel like wrapped around other
places. Like hisโฆ
He shook his head and tugged free, only narrowly resisting
rubbing his palm down jeans. He needed to focus here.
โAnd you are?โ he asked.
โIโm Julia. Julia Melville.โ
โHello, Julia.โ
She tightened the robe a little bit more. Was she naked
under there? All soft pink-and-white skin. He was guessing
so. The robe revealed most of her legs, and her feet were
bare, her toes curling into the carpet. The material clung
to her breasts, outlining the full shape, the nipples
pressed against the fabric. Yeah, she was naked, and his
cock twitched in his jeans.
What the hell was going on?
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he hunched over a little
and forced a smile. โIโm new in town. I donโt know anyone
yet. Maybe you could take pity on me, let me buy you a meal,
and you can show me around.โ
Actually, the only place he wanted her to show him was her
bedroom. Shit, maybe he needed to get out of there and
rethink his plan.
She shifted from foot to foot, appearing a little uncertain,
which was sort of endearing. For a second, she looked like
she was going to say yes. Her gaze searched his face, and he
was pretty sure she liked what she saw. Then she seemed to
give herself a little shake and resolve hardened her eyes
โNo,โ she said.
โNo?โ
โI donโtโฆI donโt date.โ
โYouโre seeing someone else?โ
Her rosebud mouth pursed. โErโฆno. Itโs more of anโฆethical
thing.โ
โEthical?โ What the hell did that mean? Had she taken up
religion? His research hadnโt found that out.
โMaybe ethical isnโt the right word.โ Her gaze wandered
around the room for a few seconds before settling on the
phone clasped in her hand. โI have a girlfriend,โ she said.
His eyes widened. โYou mean a girlfriend?โ
A big beaming smile lit up her face as if heโd been really
bright. โYes.โ
She was a lesbian? That hadnโt shown up in the research either.
She took another step and gripped the edge of the door.
โNice to meet you, Sebastian. Now I have things to do.
Important things.โ
And she slammed the door in his face.
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